I wanted to share with you a great example of a memory power technique that we’ve looked at in previous posts, featuring a memory expert that’s also been featured on here in our 7 Memory Experts to Follow on Twitter.

In fact, this video contains a number of amazing techniques, so watch it first, then read on to discover how two-time USA Memory Champion Ron White does it…

Unlock Your Own Super Human Memory Power

Ron starts off by remembering a large number of names and faces, and then recalling them in random order as the runners cross the line.

There are a lot of ways to remember names and faces, one of which Ron mentions in the video.

Creating Mental Caricatures

If you want to remember someone’s face, you need to pick out a feature or set of features that stand out and identify the person using them.

Watch the video again and notice how Ron studies each face for a second or two.

For example, it might be that someone has a mole on their face, or particularly pronounced eyebrows. They may be a lot shorter than everyone else at a party, or be wearing something distinctive.

Whatever it is, you have to start looking at people as if you were going to draw a caricature of them.

For that, you need to emphasise their distinctive characteristics in your mind and see that when you look at them.

NOTE: Be careful not to associate things like moustaches with men as they can shave them off and leave you drawing a blank when you next see them.

Once you’ve done that, you can then use your imagination to increase your memory power and associate the name with the face in your memory. This could be done in a number of ways…

If the name is unusual, pick out an unusual feature about that person and perhaps even link the word ‘unusual’ with that person in your mind.

Watch the way the person moves, interacts with people or even the way they stand. If they don’t have any distinguishing features, you may find that emphasising their traits will help you.

Make the name meaningful to you: You might find that you know someone else with the same name as the person you’ve just met. Do they look alike? Could they be friends? Or would they not really like each other? Whichever it is, they’re all memory power enhancing associations.

Give your memory power a boost by using conversation to help make more associations. Ask open-ended questions that require a longer answer, rather than closed questions that just require a yes or no. This might reveal a hobby or interest that you can picture them doing.

Be sure to review the association that you’ve made. This will increase memory power no end. Ron does this in the video at lightening speed, but that’s because he’s practiced a lot. Take some time to review the name and face before moving on… Or if you meet a small group, review them in turn straight after you’ve been introduced to them.

For surnames: If the person’s surname sounds like an occupation, like Tom Baker, picture the person as a baker, wearing the white baker’s outfit. Picture a name badge on the white uniform saying ‘Tom’. Thus you imagine a baker called Tom → Tom Baker.

Other Methods of Harnessing Memory Power

One way in which Ron may have been using his memory power to recall the items and their prices from the store is the Loci method, also known as The Journey Method.

I’ve written about this memory power technique a great deal on the site, but basically, it’s a method of using location as a memory tool.

By picturing the item in a particular place, you can jog other associations in your mind. This works well when trying to remember something in order, like a speech.

However, in my opinion, the Journey Method alone doesn’t account for the way in which Ron remembers the prices.

This is partly due to the fact that they’re out of sequence, just like the runners.

Instead, I suspect he’s using a Peg Method, possibly even remembering numbers using associations like the Number Shape method, where you see an image instead of random numbers.

You translate each number into an image that looks like the number. For example, number 1 could be a candle, number 2 could be a swan.

Then you have a series of weird images for you to place alongside the item you have. Here’s an example of how I’d create a ‘complete’ image for one item:

The strawberry planter is $12.98. Well that’s a candle (1), a swan (2), a ping pong paddle (9) and a curvy lady (8). You can use an egg timer for that last one if you prefer.

So the final image is a strawberry planter containing a candle, floating on a swan’s back while it plays ping pong with a curvy lady.

It sounds weird, but you can’t say it isn’t memorable.

He may have been using a more complicated set of associations, where each pair of numbers (such as 12) signifies a person, because the numbers translate into letters of the alphabet. One (1) would be ‘A’, 2 would be ‘B’, so the person could be actor Alec Baldwin.

Of course, these are only guesses at one of the possible ways Ron could be achieving his remarkable memory power feats.

I'm James Gladwell, chief contributor and editor of SmartMemoryPower.com. I'm fascinated by the human mind and I set this site up in order to help people increase their memory power, while I learned how to improve mine. Feel free to leave a comment on the site and let me know how you think I can make the site better.